And the right of the one who trains you through knowledge is venerating him, and respecting his meetings, and listening well to him, and being responsive to him,1 and helping him for yourself in the knowledge that you need by freeing your mind for him, and presenting your understanding to him, and purifying your heart for him, and fixing your eyes on him by means of abandoning leisures and diminishing lust.
And you should know that regarding what he teaches you, you are considered as his messenger to teach when you meet the ignorant ones. Therefore, it is binding upon you to render on his behalf properly, and not cheat in the fulfillment of his mission, and strive to deliver what you undertake. And there is no power but in God.
We can therefore summarize the following rights of teachers as expressed by Imam Sajjad :
1 – Respecting our teacher
2 – Seeking our teacher’s help in acquiring knowledge
3 – Getting whole-heartedly prepared to attend our teacher’s lectures
4 – Not raising our voice over our teacher’s voice
5 – Not responding to questions that others ask him before he does
6 – Not talking with others while we are in the presence of our teacher
7 – Not gossiping about anyone
8 – Defending our teacher if someone speaks bad of him
9 – Covering up the faults of our teacher
10 – Advertising our teacher’s nobility
11 – Not associating with our teacher’s enemies
12 – Not acting as an enemy towards his friends
The Importance of Knowledge
Before discussing the rights of teachers, we must consider the high value of knowledge from the viewpoint of Islam and the Holy Qur’an. The value of knowledge is clear to all. Everyone values knowledge, and is naturally humble to those who possess it. The Prophet of God who was the seal of the Prophets is told to read in the very first instance of receiving divine revelations:
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ
“Read! In the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created…” [The Holy Qur’an, al-‘Alaq 96:1]
Then the subject of teaching the use of the pen is revealed:
الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
“… He who taught (the use of) the Pen. Taught man that which he knew not.” [The Holy Qur’an, al-‘Alaq 96:4-5]
It is very important to notice that the very first instance of revelation of divine teachings is about reading, teaching, the pen, etc. This shows that it is teaching and knowledge that can elevate man from the lowest ranks to the highest positions, and finally approach the threshold of God. The Holy Qur’an asks man’s conscience to judge about knowledge:
